Container closure



May 30, 1944.

R. D. PATTERSON CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed Feb. 25, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Rose/Fr 0. BfiTarsa/v a g mgm ATTORNEY y 30, 4 R. D. PATTERSON 2,349,913

CONTAINER CLOSURE Filed Feb. 25, 1941 2 sheehs -sheet 2 INVENTOR Fads/W" agrrifison ATTORNEY Patented May 30, 1944 UNITED srATssraTENT orrice CONTAINER CLOSURE Robert D. Patterson, Elizabeth; J., assignor to Rheem Manufacturing Company, Richmond, Calif., a corporation of California Application February 25, 1941, Serial No. 380,422

3 Claims. (Cl. 220*25) The inventionrelates to containers and closures therefor.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved closure structure for steel containers wherein a locking member is detachably supported on the wall of the container adjacent the opening to be sealed and which coacts with a compression member for sealing a closureinthe opening. A particularly important feature of the present invention is the means and construction used for securing the locking member in place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure construction of the character described which will provide a powerful closing force on the closure member and for a concentric distribution of such force for uniformly sealing the closure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a closure construction of the character described, in which substantially all of the parts may be formed of fiat steel stock of the same material as the container itself and wherein substantially all machining operations are eliminated.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a closure construction of the character described which will be extremely rugged in construction and wherein certain of the parts serve to reenforce and strengthen the container wall at the opening. and wherein the locking member above referred to is positioned to fully protect and shield the closure member in the wall openmg.

The invention possesses other objects and ffeaturesof advantagesome of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following, description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is 'vention as set forth in the claims.

Referring, to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a container closure-j constructed in accordance with the vention.

Figure. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of; the container and closure-illustrated inFiguretl. Figure 3 is a plan view of a modified formof a part of the closure assembly.

Figure 4 is a verticalsectional view of the part illustrated in Figure Band is taken substantially on theplane of line 4l-4 of Figure 3.

present inconsists briefly in the combination with a container wall having an opening formed therein and provided with a seat about said opening, of means extending from the wall in circumferentially spaced relation around the axis of the open: ing and in spaced relation to the seat and a closure for the opening formed to engage the seat and a locking member detachably supported by the aforementioned means across the opening in spaced axial relation to the closure and a compression member connected between the lockingmember and the closure for urging the latter against said seat. While the present closure construction may be used for general application with steel containers andthe like, the present though as will be understood the closure construction may be formedin any of the container walls. As here shown, the peripheral edge of the head wall 8 is secured to the upper end of the side walls I by a lock seam 9 and adjacent such seam the head wall is depressed inwardly from the end of the container so that the head wall extends across the end of the container'in inset relation to the upper end of the.

container, whereby all of the closure parts may be included within the longitudinal confines of the container. v

The head wall 8 is formed centrally thereof with an opening II which is bounded and dcfined by an axially extending flange I2 which is here formed from the material of the head wall 8 and as a continuation thereof. Preferably the opening is circular and the flange l2 is cylindrical and arranged concentrically of the opening and thelongitudinal center line of the container, althoughas will be understood, the opening and flange may be of other and noncircular form. As aforementioned, means is secured to the head wall and extends outwardly, axially therefrom to provide a plurality of circumferentially spaced portions for detachably.

supporting a locking member in place. In the construction illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, this means consists of a plurality g of arms orlugs I3'which are of elongatedform Thevcontainerclosureof the presentinvention' i and are positioned at the outer periphery of the flange I2 in circumferentially spaced positions around the flange and extend axially outwardly from the container head 8 and are provided at their outer ends I4 with hook portions for detachably engaging a locking member I6. The lugs are formed intermediate their length with a transversely offset portion or shoulder I! over which the outer end I8 of the flange is bent and rolled so as to securely lock and clamp the lugs against the container wall 8. Preferably, the container wall is formed with an annular depression or socket I9 at the flange I2 which receives and anchors the inner ends 2| of the lugs. As here shown, the transverse offset portion H of the lugs is curved upwardly and outwardly and the outer end I8 of the flange is formed into a complementary curve over the upper side of the portions I! as by a rolling or die curling operation, whereby the portions II are held against both radial and axial movement. At the same time the forming of the flange end into a smooth curve, with the convex side of the curve upwardly, fashions such end into'a suitable seat for a complementary formed edge part 22 of a closure 23. The central main part 22 is here of dished form having the convex side 24'thereof outward with respect to the container and with a cylindrical skirt part 26 which terminates in the rounded edge part 22 and which is formed to loosely slidably engage the cylindrical inner surface of the flange I12.

The locking member I6 is here of disc form provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial projections or ears 2'! equal in number to the number of the lugs I3 and having a radial extension sufficient to engage the hooked ends I4 of the lugs, whereby the member ll6 is supported across the opening in spaced relation to the, closure. The member I6 is. preferably dished downwardly, as viewed in cross-section in Figure 2 and is provided with a circumferentially extending flange 28 which depends from the outer edge of the member and which is bent upat circumferentially spaced portions to define the projections or ears 21. Desirably the portions 2! curve upwardly to engage within and interlock with the'hooks I4 and also preferably, the circumferential dimension of the portions 21 is somewhat greater than the circumferentialdimension of the lugs whereby thepro jec'tions or ears 2'! may be engaged at the opposite sides of the lugs, as viewed in Figure 1, to, hold the member I6 against rotation relativeto the lugs.

23-for urging the closure against its seat on the, outer. end of the flange. In the present construction the compression member 29 consists of a screw 3| threaded through a threaded part or nut 32 carried by the locking member I6 and engaging at its inner end 33 in a depression or socket 34 formed in the closure. The outer end 36. of the screw is preferably formed with a polygonal head for engagement by a wrench or other tool to .tighten the screw assembly. The

, 55' A compression member 29 is mounted between 1 the locking member I6 and the closure member around the periphery of the closure. By reason of the dish shape of the closure, the compression action of the screw tends to flatten the central dished part of the closure and to effect a diametrical expansion of the closure in the flange. By the selection of the weight of material used in the closure member, this diametrical expansion efiect can be controlled to suit the needs of any particular construction.

Preferably a gasket, not shown, is positioned between the opposite sealing faces I8 and 22 of the flange and closure, various types of compressible ring gaskets being available for sealing of various materials which may be stored in the container.

I As will be seen from the foregoing, the positioningof the lugs I3 around the outer periphery of the flange and the clamping of these lugs in place by the rolling of the outer end of the flange over a part of the lugs and the anchoring of the lugs in the socket l9 in the head, provides a novel and effective construction utilizing a minimum number of parts and at the same time providing a reenforcing of the flange and a very strong and rugged throat construction for the head, thus enabling the application to the closure of a powerful concentric sealing pressure. As will be further seen from the drawings, the diameter of the outer rim 22 of the closure is of a size adapted to fit between the hook portions I4 of the lugs whereby the closure may be moved axially into and out of its seated position. In applying the closure, the locking plate is rotated to a position locating the projections or ears 2! between the lugs I3 and then moved with the closure axially until the projections 2'! lie inwardly of the hooks I4 and then rotated to interengage the projections and hooks. The screw 3| may thereupon be turned to force the closure to its seated position. As will be clear from Figures 1 and 2, the member I6 is of a size and form which will permit the member to serve as a full cover for the container opening in place of the closure 23 when the latter is removed or omitted.

A modified form of the means for supporting the locking member I6 is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, wherein a plurality of lugs I 3' are formed as projections extending generally upwardly from a cylindrical base portion M which is adapted to directly surround the flange I2 of the container wall and to be clamped in place in the same manner as the lugs I 3 of the first embodiment. As will be seen in Figure 4, the upper end 42 of the base portion 4| is curved outwardly and upwardly to provide an annular seat over which the outer end I8 of the flange I2 is rolled or curled, so as to securely anchor the member 4| in place. the shape of the roll or curve of the upper end 42 is substantially the same in cross section as the shape of the intermediate shoulder I! of the lugs I3 of the first embodiment. In the modified construction, the projections I3 extend from the outer edge of the rolled upper end 42 of the base and are provided with hook portions I4 at their outer ends in the same form and manner as described in connection with the first embodiment. The modified form of construction has an advantage in permitting fabrication from a single strip of material wherein the lugs I3 out of a flat strip leaving projections to form the lugs, and the ends of the strip welded or otherwise secured to provide a continuous cir- In this connection.

may be formed by blankingv cular collar. As will also be understood, the collar provides complete circumferential and axial reenforcing of the openings.

I claim:

1. In combination with a container wall having a circular opening therein and a cylindrical flange bounding said opening in concentric relation therewith, said wall being formed with an annular external depression at said flange, a plurality of lugs each formed of an elongated strip of metal positioned at one end in said depression and extending outwardly of said wall alongside of said flange, each of said lugs being formed with a transverse ofiset portion intermediate its length and a hook portion at the outer end thereof, the outer end of said flange being bent over the offset portion of each of said lugs to clamp said lugs against said wall and to form a seat at the outer end of said flange, a closure for said opening adapted to engage said seat, a disc shaped locking member provided with a body portion of substantially the same circumference as said closure and having a plurality of radially extending projections equal in number to the number of said lugs and formed to detachably engage said book portions for supporting said locking member across said opening in spaced relation to said closure, and a screw mounted centrally of said locking member and engageable with said closure for urging the same against said flange seat.

2. In combination with a container wall formed with an opening therein defined and bounded by a flange extending from said wall and formed to provide vertical and transverse closure-seat portions, a collar surrounding said flange and forming a reinforcement for each of said seat portions and secured thereto and formed integrally with a plurality of projections extending away from said wall in circumferentially spaced relation around the axis of said opening and in spaced relation to said flange, a closure for said opening formed to seat against said flange, a locking member detachably supported by said projections across the axis of said opening in spaced relation to said closure and including a substantially imperforate plate forming a cover for said closure and being of a size and shape to provide a full covering for said opening, independent of said closure, and a compression member connected between said locking member and said closure for urging the latter to a seated position against said flan ge.

3. In combination with a container wall having a circular opening therein and a cylindrical flange defining said opening and having a vertical closure-seat portion and a transverse closure-seat portion, said container wall, includ-- ing said flange, being formed to provide vertically opposed external depressions, circumferentially spaced lugs having upper locking por- 35 for urging the same against each of said seat portions.

ROBERT D. PATTERSON. 

